‘Beware the Fake Marketer’ – Part Three

Beware the Graphic Designer who disguises themselves as a Marketing Consultant

View Part One and Two of the series.

Last post, we discussed the brand less marketing consultant, a fake marketer whose disguise is as obvious as a fake moustache from a discount store.

Today, our fake is a little more discreet and a little harder to spot. They are also becoming quite the commonplace.

Who am I talking about? The graphic designer who disguises himself or herself as a marketing consultant.

But don’t Graphic Designers have marketing skills?

The main difference between Graphic Designers and Marketers is that designer’s focus on how to get your message across visually and marketer’s focus on how your message fits in with your overall business strategy.

Graphic designers play a vital role in the marketing mix but on a creative level, not a business strategy level.

It is a marketer who uses their knowledge to establish what sort of message should be sent to consumers, who that consumer is, and how to get the message to them. Graphic Designers come in to take that brief and turn it in to a visual, be that a logo, a website or an advertisement.

The marketing consultant then works out how best to ensure your target market will see this work. Without the marketer, the graphic designers work may not reach the public’s eye, and what’s the point of that?

How to spot a fake graphic designer/marketer

• A really good graphic designer will understand their role in the process and will ask to speak to your marketing consultant.
• They will see their role as a creative one and will admit that they are there to help you establish visuals.
• A good marketing consultant will have qualifications and experience in marketing, not graphic design. They will discuss marketing strategies with you in a business way and may even suggest you hire a graphic designer to help with the branding process.

As a general rule, it is vital that you look for professionals who know their role in your business and don’t try to do more than they are able.

Download your copy of ‘Beware the Fake Marketer’ today.